From NBA to NFT
Last Thursday was definitely not another day at the office. It’s a small town here, in the heart of startup nation, so when a local GOAT, ex Golden State baller, and first Israeli to play in the NBA popped for a visit, the excitement was undeniable.
We’re a young company with ambitious dreams, and the apex talents to back it up, yet still relatively unknown in this crowded Web3 space. We wear the chip on our shoulders like a badge of honor and take pride in our mission to prove to the world what we’re all about. And with an NBA veteran, like Omri Casspi, on our roaster, it was the perfect opportunity for us to make some noise and spread the mutual ownership word.
But more than just mingling and eating sushi, we all shared a common passion for the infinite potential that our vision unlocks. And that surreal moment when Casspi sat down with Tal Dadia, our CEO & Co-founder, and bonded over NFTs in an hour-long twitter space, was not lost on anyone. But there were more than just pleasantries exchanged that night.
After Deni Avdija, his buddy and Israeli predecessor to the NBA, joined the NFT game, Casspi wanted a piece of the action. And as luck, or web3 karma, had it, we’ve recently collaborated with the amazing Desperate ApeWives community, which Deni bought his NFT from. And just like that, all the stars aligned for a night that was all about mutual ownership, Community 3.0 style.
The magic is real
But it was only after the chit-chat over twitter was over, that the real magic happened. All the while, somewhere in the metaverse, there was a group of Ape Wives that gathered, eager to buy together and get the party started. And Casspi was just as curious to look under the hood, and see how the mutual ownership sauce was made.
Everyone was waiting for the traditional kickoff, when our guest of honor had his eye on a couple of foxy apes, before initiating his proposals. But what would happen next was still anyone’s guess. There is never a shortage in challenges when trying to onboard users into an alpha product, that while proven to work is still a novelty to most and a work in progress. The community’s enthusiasm is one thing, yet converting that collective excitement into actionable consensus is a whole other ball game.
Aside from all the moving parts and technical variables, trying to anticipate real people’s reactions, in real-time, was the true X factor of the night. So as soon as the mics were off, everyone gathered to watch this group dynamic unfold, as all of our hard work took a life of its own. It’s hard to overstate just how valuable was this high-level game theory experience to our learning curve.
And after the dust settled, we marked another milestone when 5 members were the first to reach the finish line, and complete the group purchase together. The prize was a brand new Ape and bragging rights to own their NFT, alongside an ex NBA player with a championship ring in his collection.
Be like Casspi
And what about our guest of honor? Well, he enjoyed the show and once again proved himself to be the ultimate sport, that he always was. From the moment he stepped in the door and throughout the evening, he was game for anything. No big league or too cool for school attitude, that you might expect from someone in his status, only team player vibes with smiles and positive energies all around. Excited to be involved and a real mensch through and through.
This whole operation felt more like an organic guerilla effort, than a well-orchestrated PR campaign. It only reinforced the value of someone like Casspi, and other web3 power players we’re collaborating with, to inspire and lead the mass. We’re not talking about your standard influencers economy or mercenaries that are just in it for the payday; Rather real leaders who’re truly enthusiastic about exploring this brave new world together.
Of course, this is just the beginning and as I’m typing these words, the group is plotting their next community purchase and Casspi is hungry for more apes. Join the group to buy with Casspi, sign up for our Private Alpha Platform, and follow us on Twitter, to be first on all the action.
See you on the other side.
